2016.9.11 礼拝

2016.9.11 礼拝

2016.9.11 Ephesians 6:1-4 “Putting Love of Christ into Practice”

1. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 so that it may be well with and that you may live long on the earth. 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Ways parents raise children may vary depending on the family. Some parents raise their children with severely strict rules on manners or education while some others with a hands-off policy.

Despite the difference, parents believe they are moved by their love of their children. On the other hand, children may doubt their parents’ love or pressured to satisfy their parents to win their confidence. Still others may just simply disobey their parents.

To “honor” (in Greek “tima”) means to revere, to treat as valuable and precious. In other words,

“Honor your father and mother” could mean “Love your father and mother.”

【To honor your father and mother】

➀ Understand its seriousness.

Ephesians 6:2-3

2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

How much do we practice this command?

This is the only commandment with a promise, [which is the first commandment with a promise] and a very significant one.

➁ Trust God’s Promise

The promise is: Ephesians 6:3

SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH.

This is a promise. Long life does not just mean as the words live, but it means “well-being” = blessing.

Our father and mother are our next-of-kin, the closest people on earth. Different children would have had different experiences growing up. Some may not have felt any love of their parents or disliked their parents for one reason or the other.

However, God would like us to forgive and love even such parents since relationships with the father and mother will have significant effect on our sense of stability, security or well-being in our daily life. Therefore, it is important to have relationships with love. And to practice this love, we must rely on God with daily communication.